"You've worked really hard this year." She sat down next to him, staring at the warehouse absently.

"Yeah, well, I found the cure for academic boredom." He gestured to the building in front of them. "You ever heard of Thomas Pinter?"

"He's a playwright."

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's funny. Most guys discover the opposite sex and their academic life goes straight to hell. I had to be different, huh?"

The significance of the warehouse dawned on her and Joey blushed, refusing to look at Pacey. "You just like smart girls who refuse to let you drag them down to your level so they're stuck lifting you up to theirs."

"So I drag 'em down in other ways."

"You didn't have anything to do with what happened to Andie, Pace." She turned to face him, pulling her feet up onto the bench and planting them between them. "She was sick before she ever came here. You were good for her. You gave her a reason to keep fighting and going on."

"Or is it that the stress of dating me and dealing with all my shit dragged her down so much that she couldn't concentrate on staying healthy?"

"Pacey, I promise you that this had nothing to do with you." She nudged his thigh with the toe of her shoe.

"How can you promise something like that, Jo? You don't know. I don't know. Hell, Andie probably doesn't even know."

"Is it because you haven't heard from her? Are you afraid that she's realized that you're the root of all evil, which I've been saying all along, mind you, and so she's not going to call?"

"She hasn't called yet."

"She's probably been busy, Pace. I mean, she got shipped off at the last minute and she's getting checked into the hospital. They're probably running tests and trying to find out what they need to do to help her."

"I just want her to call."

"I know you do." She rested her chin on her knees as she looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "And when she does, don't you want to be able to tell her that you aced your finals?"

"I can't even think about finals, Jo."

"You can." She tilted her head in the direction of the warehouse. "You pick women who challenge you, Pace, because you're smart. You pick women who won't let you get away with shit because, in all honesty, you don't want to get away with shit. You want to get called on it."

"I like the punishment aspect of it."

"Gross." She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "When she calls, you're not going to want to have to tell her that you've given up and are throwing all your hard work away. Because then she'll kick your ass."

"I told you, I like that part."

"And she'll be disappointed in you." She said the words softly, gauging their effect. "Not because you couldn't do it, but because you didn't care enough to." He turned his head away from her, not willing to meet her gaze. "You pick women that believe in you, Pace, even when you don't believe in yourself. And you pick women that risk everything to show you that."

"What about you, Potter?"

"I've never picked a woman to do anything for me."

He laughed and shook his head. "Why'd I pick you?"

"You've never picked me, Pacey." There was a light warning in her eyes, like a faint beacon shining on the water. "Probably because you know I'd kick your ass if you even so much at tried anything. After all, I've heard all about your study tactics."

"Hey, there's something to be said for them. Besides, you're the one here begging me to study with you." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What's the matter, Jo? Dawson not givin' up the goods."

"You're disgusting."

He leaned in as he stood up, his voice and breath hot on her skin. "You want me."

"You're also delusional."

"Maybe I'll show you what Andie does for me when I get a question right."

She fell in step with him, heading back to the CD store where she'd left Dawson. "My boyfriend's going to be right there, you know."

"So he'll learn something."

"You have a girlfriend."

"A guy gets lonely." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick, impulsive hug before releasing her. "Andie'd understand."

"And Jack and Jen? They're going to be there too."

"So they'll both marvel at my manly physique." He ignored her gagging noises and ruffled her hair. "That way you won't be the only one."

"I think you're in need of some serious psychiatric help." She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "This is some cunning plan to get committed, isn't it?" As he smiled she shook her head. "You'd better watch out, Pace. It might happen. And, unlike Andie, they'd never let you out."